Getting ready for Mother’s Day was exhausting for Ben and me! We’re glad it only happens once a year.
After reminding you lot, we then totally forgot about it till Ben came round on Saturday. We were going for a bike ride with the gargoylz but Mum stopped us. She wanted to plant some bulbs in a pot for Nan as a Mother’s Day present. Although Nan’s a nan, she’s Dad’s mum too, of course! And Mum wanted us to do it for her as she was busy. Ben and I looked at each other in horror when we realised that we needed to get to the shops and buy gifts for our mums or they’d never let us forget it. So we decided to stuff the bulbs in the pot really quickly and then head off.
Well we’d forgotten we had the gargoylz to help! It took hours to do the job. We had to persuade Ira not to rain too much on the bulbs, stop Zack eating them and make sure that Azzan didn’t set them on fire in his excitement!
At last they were finished and we had five minutes to dash down to the shops before they closed when the phone rang and Mum said it sounded like Mrs Hogsbottom and she wanted to speak to me. I could feel my face going green with shock. And Ben pointed up to the clock. We were going to be too late to buy any presents. We were in big trouble. I picked up the receiver as if it was a poisonous snake.
But it wasn’t Mrs Hogsbum, it was Nan! She’d put on a false voice because she wanted to talk to me in secret. She suggested that Ben and I go round to her and make some cakes to give our mums as their present. Awesome. We didn’t have to get to the shops after all. We set off right away. And good old Nan. Not only did we make cupcakes for our mums – their favourite – we also make cupcakes for us. And the gargoylz of course.
And the next day, all the mums were delighted with their cakes and bulbs, although Nan was a bit surprised to find an extra display of thistles and nettles in her pot. The gargoylz had given her some of their favourite flowers as they were so pleased with the cupcakes!
Barney says we should tell you how to make cupcakes because they’re Dangling Drainpipes Delicious but that will have to wait until next week.

Categories: Gargoylz, News, Pranks
Tags: Azzan Barney Ben cupcakes Gargoylz Max Max Black

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Max’s nan made shortbread biscuits which were awesome. Barney was so impressed he wants you to make them. Here’s the recipe. Get a grownup to help. You can always promise them a biscuit to stop them moaning.

Shortbread biscuits

You will need…
125g butter (margarine’s not half as good.)
55g caster sugar
180g plain flour
A little bit of icing sugar for sprinkling

What you do…
1. Get your tame grownup to turn the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until it’s all mixed.
3. Sift the flour into the mixture and stir it all until you have a thick paste.
4. Sprinkle flour on your table or work space (this is to stop the mixture sticking to the table) and put your ball of paste on to it.
5. Roll it out until it’s about 1cm thick.
6. Now cut into rectangles (about 2cm wide and 8cm long.)
7. Put your rectangles on a baking tray (with baking paper underneath to stop them sticking.) Sprinkle with a little bit of icing sugar and put into the fridge for 20 mins.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they are a pale golden-brown. Put them on a wire rack to cool and then eat them before the gargoylz get their paws on them! And don’t forget to feed one to your tame grownup.

Barney says they are especially delicious if you cover them with melted cooking chocolate. Let us know how you get on.

Max and I have got homework – and it’s going to take ages! We’ve got to make a model of the church. Well it will be lot more fun with some gargoyle help!

Categories: News
Tags: Barney Ben Gargoylz Max Nan scrummy shortbread

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We played such a cool trick on the girls and our mums on the royal wedding day – thanks to Abel. They did deserve it.  When Max and I asked very politely if we could watch our DVD they all shouted NO and Jessica stuck her tongue out.

Then we heard ‘boyz!’ hissed through the letterbox and when we looked, Toby and Abel were peeping out of a bush in the front garden.  They sneaked in and Abel slipped into the lounge. The girls and our mums had just got really gooey about lovely wedding dresses – yuck – when Arabella screamed. She told them that the plant in the corner had winked at her. The others didn’t believe her but then Jessica said it was waving at her and showing its teeth. Max’s mum just turned up the volume but then my mum gave a shriek and said there was a twiggy monster in the pot. Max’s mum looked but Abel had ducked down out of sight.

The mums then came looking for us because they were sure that we’d played a trick on them.  Luckily Max and I had thought about this so we made sure we were helping his dad out in the garden. They had to agree it couldn’t have been us and that they’d all be much happier watching it back at my house so off they all went. Result! Max and I got to watch our film in his lounge in peace!  And his dad made us some popcorn. He was amazed how quickly we ate it but he didn’t realise that we had five hungry gargoylz hiding behind the couch. Once they’d heard how well the trick had gone, Barney, Neb and Theo had come to join Toby and Abel.  It was a bit of a squash.

So it was an awesome Royal Wedding day for us.

Now we’re just off to drop a wet sponge on Arabella’s head from the bedroom window.  She’s been complaining we smell because we don’t wash enough and she says she just loves washing all the time.  So we’re going to give her an extra rinse and see how she likes that.

Categories: News
Tags: Abel Arabella Barney Ben Max Neb royal Theo Toby Wedding

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We have had three days back at school and now it’s the Royal Wedding so we’ve got another day off – awesome. But what is not awesome is that Ben and I have got a cool DVD to watch and the lounge is full of ghastly, shrieking girls. Our mums and Arabella and Jessica are having a Royal Wedding party. But I’m sure Ben and I can think of a trick to play on them, with the help of the gargoylz.

It was awesome on Wednesday. Miss Bleet had been on holiday to Belgium and had come back with a recipe for Belgian Chocolate Cookies and she was going to get us all to make them. But then she told us the bad news. We were making them for the teachers! She had decided that it was ‘Be nice to a teacher day!’

We signalled to the gargoylz that we needed their help. When the cookies were nearly finished and the delicious smell was driving us mad, it suddenly changed to the most awful pong.  We all had to rush out into the playground and when we got back inside the cookies had vanished. Miss Bleet couldn’t work out what had happened because we’d all been with her. But we knew of course – there was no mistaking one of Barney’s bottom burps. The gargoylz were trying to get everyone out so that they could snatch the cookies. The bell rang for playtime and we were about to go over to the church wall to get our share when Miss Bleet said we had to stay in and make some more cookies for the teachers.  Disaster!

But the next lot of cookies were nearly done when suddenly the fire alarm went off and the whole school had to evacuate the building. And of course, when we got back inside, the new cookies had gone too. This time Azzan had breathed fire and set the alarm off.

We had a wonderful cookie feast after school although the gargoylz had managed to eat nearly all of them by the time we got there!

Anyway, Ben’s here with some stony friends so we’ve got a secret plan to make – get the ghastly wedding watchers out of the lounge!

Categories: News
Tags: Azzan Barney Ben cookies Gargoylz Miss Bleet tricks

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The gargoylz came back today from their World Book Day travels and already they’ve been up to their usual tricks. They sent leaves and water gushing down on the vicar outside the church.  They’ve been to Hertfordshire and Essex this week and Toby said the visits have been awesome. 

We had great fun last Saturday. We met the gargoylz at the church. We had our paper and charcoal ready to do some brass rubbings in case any grownups came along. We thought we’d have the place to ourselves though as the vicar had gone to a vicar’s paintballing day and there was nothing up on the notice board – like weddings or christenings. We’d forgotten about Doris and Aggie, the demon flower arrangers. Luckily we heard their screeching voices before they saw us so the gargoylz were able to hide and Max and I began doing a rubbing of Sir Oswald Fitzgubbins. He was a knight with a big nose who died in 1456. Doris and Aggie are so old they probably babysat for him when he was young!

Anyway the demon flower arrangers came in with their arms full of daffodils, took one look at us and started moaning.  They said we were making the place untidy and we were putting them off. They needed all their artistic power to decorate the church. We were just about to complain that we were there first when I noticed Barney sitting on a beam above their heads.  We held our noses and just in time. He made a dreadful pong. Doris and Aggie gave a shriek, threw down their daffodils and ran.

Barney felt a bit mean so he put the flowers in the vases for them. Zack tried to help but he put them in all upside-down!

I’m going to Max’s house tomorrow. We’ve got plans to make a Spy-Boy base out of  giant cardboard boxes.

Categories: Enemy agents, Gargoylz, World Book Day
Tags: Barney Ben Demon Flower Arrangers Gargoylz Max World Book Day Zack

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We waited outside Arabella’s bedroom to hear her angry shrieks when she found the pink feathers all over her bed but there was absolute silence.  We couldn’t believe it.  Then Mum called us downstairs for tea. We don’t know how Arabella did it but our muffins were stuffed full of pink feathers! 

We weren’t going to let her get the better of us.  We thought we’d wait a few days until she’d forgotten all about it and then yesterday we played a wonderful trick.  Swotty Arabella had worked really hard on a project about barometers.  (They hang on the wall and tell you what the weather’s going to be like – boring!)   On our way to school, she went on and on about how it was the best project ever and she was the brainiest girl in the school and her teacher would be really pleased with her when she whipped it out of her bag.  Little did she know that we had a prank in store for her.

When we got to the playground, she put her bag down and started chatting with her horrible friends.  Barney was hiding in a nearby hedge and he made one of his best smells.  The girls all ran away coughing and spluttering, leaving their bags behind.  Quick as a flash, Toby grabbed the project and flew away with it.  Meanwhile Cyrus quickly shredded some paper with his claws and shoved that in her bag instead so it would look as if she’d torn her project into pieces.  Then we all went into our classes.

Soon there was a humungous shriek from Arabella down the corridor.  I jumped up and told Miss Bleet that my sister needed me.  Max and I dashed out of the door to where Toby was waiting for us with the project. We grabbed it and ran along to Arabella’s classroom.  We peered through the glass door at her.  She was having a tantrum, chucking shredded paper everywhere as she ransacked her bag looking for her project.  Her teacher looked cross.

I knocked at the door and asked in my sweetest voice if Arabella had lost anything.  Then I held up the project.  Arabella went purple and shrieked that I had stolen it.  It was great because her teacher got really cross then and told Arabella she should be grateful to have such a lovely brother. 

Max and I did the biggest high five ever outside! 

It’s Valentine’s day on Monday which is really yucky.  Wonder if we can play a special Valentine’s trick on someone?

Categories: Enemy agents, Gargoylz, Pranks
Tags: Arabella Barney Ben Cyrus Gargoylz Max Miss Bleet Toby

5

Muffin making didn’t quite turn out to be as easy as we thought. Toby, Barney, Neb and Cyrus came with us to Max’s nan’s house. We told them that they could help when Max’s nan wasn’t looking so they went off and hid. While we were getting out the ingredients, Cyrus poked his head out of a cupboard and started to sing. Max and I put our fingers in our ears so we wouldn’t fall asleep but Max’s poor nan started snoring face down in a mixing bowl. We tried to be cross but it was very funny.

The gargoylz said that as we had ten minutes before she opened her eyes, they could help us get everything ready and give her a big surprise. Well, she certainly got a big surprise! We put all the ingredients in a bowl and Neb jumped in and snorkelled round. He said he was mixing it all up but he squirted most of it round the room. By the time Max’s nan woke up there was egg on the ceiling, butter all over the bread bin and flour in the cooker. In the end she made the muffins and we ate them – at least, we ate as many as we could before the gargoylz got their stony paws on them!

This Saturday is going to be soooo boring. Max and I have to go and watch Jessica and Arabella take part in some sort of girly dance show. Hold on – maybe if the gargoylz come along it won’t be so bad…

Categories: Enemy agents, Gargoylz
Tags: Arabella Barney Ben Cyrus Gargoylz Jessica Max Neb Toby

22

Ben only just managed not to get a bashing from the Basher. As soon as Barry marched up to him and whipped the gloves out of his pocket Ben said, “That’s very strange! How did those gloves get back in there? I had them on the walk and suddenly I felt someone take them out of my pocket, but there was no one around. That’s spooky!” (Quick thinking, Agent Neal) Anyway, Barry looked really frightened and ran off down the corridor shouting something about the Ghastly Glove Ghost was now haunting the school. We heard him getting told off by Mrs Hogsbum for breaking school rule number 386 – Boys must not shout about Ghastly Glove Ghosts in school time.’

Nan brought round some lovely cakes yesterday and that reminded me. We promised you all a scrumptious recipe and Barney chose this one – Muffins. He says it’s one of my nan’s best and it’s easy peasy. 

It looks like a lot of ingredients but the muffins are really easy to make. Get a grownup to help you.

Barney’s Favourite Muffins

You will need: 

• 250g self-raising flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 175g caster sugar
• 175ml milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 100ml sunflower oil
• 75g plain chocolate chunks (don’t eat them all before you start)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Paper muffin cases
• A 12-hole muffin tray

1. Get your grownup to turn the oven on to 170ºC (375ºF, gas mark 5).
2. Put muffin cases into a 12-hole deep muffin tray.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder; stir in the sugar. Add everything else and mix it all lightly together.
4. Spoon the mixture into the cases. Bake them for about 20 minutes until they’re springy and not squidgy when your grownup gives them a poke. Cool for 10 minutes; then put on a wire rack and leave until cool.

Eat up as soon as they are cool!!!

Nan’s going to let us help her make some when Ben and I go round there on Sunday. The gargoylz are going to join in – when Nan’s not looking, of course.

Categories: Enemy agents, Gargoylz
Tags: Barney Barry the Basher Ben cookies Max Mrs Hogsbum Nan

2

Our party hats started off okay. I went round to Max’s house on Saturday and found that Jelly, Neb, Barney and Ira were already there, helping Max to get out all the paper and glue and stuff that we needed. We decided to make pirate hats.  We’d just got our cardboard into cool pirate hat shapes when Max’s mum called us for a snack.  When we got back (bringing cookies for our friends, of course) we found a terrible mess and not a gargoyle in sight. The hats were covered in dead leaves, old socks and toilet paper!  And so was the furniture. Then Barney, Neb and Ira popped out of the wardrobe and yelled ‘surprise’! They thought we’d be pleased. When we complained about the hats, Ira told us that he knew all about olden day pirates and they always looked a bit messy. Then we heard Jelly calling for help. He’d turned into a ball of purple goo and was stuck to the top of Max’s hat. When we’d peeled him off and he’d gone back to normal he explained he wanted to be there when Mrs Hogsbum gave his hat the prize.

We felt really stupid at the party in our hats. I had one of Max’s football socks dangling in my face and he had toilet paper over one eye. We wanted to take our hats off but Mrs Hogsbum said we’d be breaking school rule number 961 – boys must not take party hats off at Christmas parties. And then it was brilliant because we won the prize for the funniest hats!

Then Abel played the most awesome Christmas trick on Mrs Hogsbum. He waited until she was making her rounds of the school at lunchtime and transformed into a Christmas tree, complete with baubles and tinsel. He took up the whole corridor. We were just coming along and saw Mrs Hogsbum going red in the face with steam blowing out of her ears. Unfortunately she spotted us and thought we’d done it. She told us we’d broken school rule number 962 – boys must not block the corridor with Christmas trees. The moment she’d gone, Abel turned back into his normal self, scampered round to overtake her and turned into a tree again. She couldn’t understand how the tree kept moving and in the end she thought she must be going mad and went home. Result!

Now we’ve got two whole weeks off for Christmas!

Categories: Enemy agents, Gargoylz, Pranks
Tags: Abel Barney Ben Christmas Ira Jelly Max Mrs Hogsbum Neb

6

We covered Jessica’s cupcakes in green gooey icing and told her it was snot!  She stamped her foot and said ‘it’s not!’ We roared with laughter and said we were glad she agreed. Do you get it, gargoylz fans?  If not, try saying ‘It’s not’ and ‘It’s snot’ out loud!!

We’re going to start rehearsing for our class Christmas play. It’s called ‘A Christmas Carol’. It’s an awesome story. This mean old man called Scrooge gets visited by four ghosts and it makes him nicer.  The ghosts are brilliant.  I want to be the ghost of Christmas present.  I thought I’d be dressing up as a ghostly parcel till Miss Bleat told me that ‘Christmas present’ didn’t mean a present that you give at Christmas. It means the ghost of this Christmas. Why do grownups have such funny ways of saying things? Anyway, the ghost of Christmas present gets to say lots and I’ve been practising like mad so that I get chosen. But as usual I’m having trouble remembering the words. Still Max and the gargoylz said they’d help.  The gargoylz haven’t been that helpful so far. I popped into the churchyard after school for a rehearsal. But they had their fingers in their ears when I was trying the lines and Barney even said my acting was giving him a tummy ache. Then he got very anxious that he’d upset me and did an accidental bottom burp. The dreadful stink went everywhere. That was enough for Max and me. We ran home. If this goes on, I don’t think I’m going to get any part at all in the play.

It’s the Christmas fair tomorrow. The gargoylz weren’t too sure about coming into school on a Saturday until they heard there’d be a cake stall.  I wonder what tricks they’ll get up to…

Categories: Gargoylz, Pranks, jokes
Tags: Barney Ben cupcakes ghosts Jessica Max

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